Thermostatic switch for incandescent electric lamps.



PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

J. V. A. KIMMEY, JR. THERMOSTATIO SWITCH FOR INCANDESOENT ELECTRIC LAMPS.

WWZQQ APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1905.

fi w 15) gm? 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THERMOSTATIC SWITCH FOR INCANDESCENT ELECTRIC LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed April 1, 1905. Serial No 253,368.

To all whom, it Wm concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN V. A. KIMMEY, Jr. a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement inThermostatic Switches for Incandescent Electric Lamps; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the figures of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1 a side view of an incandescent electric lamp, showing myimproved thermostatic switch connected therewith; Fig. 2, a

front view of a thermostatic switch detached; Fig. 3, a rear view of the same; Fig. 4:, a diagrammatic view showing the circuits of my improved switch; Fig. 5, an inside face view of the switch-plate detached; Fig. 6, a sectional view on line we of Fig. 5.

This invention relates to an improvement in a thermostatic switch for incandescent electric lamps.

In the use of incandescent electric lamps for advertising or decorative purposes it is desirable to produce a flash efiectthat is, to alternately turn the current on and off. As usually arranged complicated mechanism is required and the current is cut in or out at regular intervals.

The object of this invention is to arrange a thermostatic switch whereby the current for an incandescent electric lamp may be cut in or out and without mechanical means therefor; and the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly re cited in the claim.

In illustrating my invention I show one incandescent electric lamp, as that will be sufficient to give a clear understanding of my invention; but it will be understood that as generally employed a number of lamps will be arranged in predetermined order and each lamp provided with its independent switch. The incandescent-lamp bulb 2, with its socket 3, are of usual construction, the socket at one side being adapted to be connected with one wire 4 of the main lighting-circuit and with a contact-arm 5 at the opposite side for connection with the other wire 6 of the main lighting-circuit. Secured to this contact-point 5 is a body or bracket 7, formed from a strip of iron or other suitable material and not w readily contracted or expanded under heat.

Secured to one face of this body, near its ends, is an outwardly-bowed plate 8, of thin brass or other material, which has greater expansive properties than the body or bracket 7. This bowed plate 8 is covered with insulating material 9, around which is a winding of wire 10 or other material offering resistance to the flow of the electric current which develops heat. At the center of the plate 8 is a terminal or metallic binding 11, to which one end of the winding material 10 is attached, this terminal or metallic binding to be furnished with a piece of platinum 12 at the center or point of contact. Mounted in the body or bracket 7 is an adjustable contactscrew13, which extends toward the bowed plate 8 and into contact with the platinum plate 12 thereof. The other end of the winding material is connected with a terminal or metallic binding 14 on the bracket 7, but out of contact with the bracket by insulation 15, but in electric contact with the circuit-wire 6. In its normal position the contact-plate 12 will be in contact with a platinum-pointed screw 13, which it may be said can be connected with a bracket 7 in any desired manner. Electric current passing through the circuit-wires 1 and 6 passes from the wire 6 to the winding 10, through that winding to the plate 12, from the plate 12 to the screw 13, thence through the bracket 7 to the lamp. The current passing through the resistance-winding to the plate at the center heats the bow, causing it to expand, and hence elongate and move away from the plate 8 and the contact-screw 13, so as to break or open the circuit at this point. The circuit having been broken, the electric current longer flows through the winding, and the heat created thereby dissipates into the atmosphere, causing the expanded bow to cool and contract to its nor-- mal position, coming again into contact with the screw 13, and thereby closing the circuit and causing the lamp to light. The closing of the circuit will again create suflicient heat to expand the bow, and thus the lamp will be alternately cut into or out of the circuit.

I claim The herein-described thermostatic switch for incandescent electric lamps consisting of a bracket connected with an incandescent electric lamp, a bowed plate secured at both ends to one face of said bracket, a contactscrew mounted in said bracket and normally in contact with said bowed plate, electric connection between the bowed plate and one Wire In testimony whereof I have signed this of the lighting-circuit and between the bowed specification in the presence of two subserib- IO pcliategndlthe b'acklet, $3.151 bowled plalte adapting Witnesses. e an er eat eve ope irect ybyt 1e power T I 3 5 of the current of the lighting-circuit to eX- JOHL KIMMEY pand and move out of electric contact with vVitnesses: the bracket whereby the circuit is broken, l/VILLARD E. BUsBY, substantially as described. ERNEST M. BUTLER. 

